Long chosen as Fairfax Co. executive

FAIRFAX, Va. – The region’s largest jurisdiction has a new administrator.

Fairfax County supervisors appointed 59-year-old Edward L. Long Jr. county executive.

Long will oversee a budget of $6.8 billion and manage 12,000 employees.

Long is no stranger to the county. He’s lived in Fairfax County for more than three decades and served as the Deputy County Administrator before briefly retiring.

Long’s first priority will be dealing with the “new normal.”

“We’ve got major issues and major funding challenges such as Dulles Rail,” says Long.

He says he gets along well with all 10 current board of supervisors, who are technically his bosses.

“We know that the federal government hasn’t begun to address their deficit yet. And when they do, we fully expect that to be passed down to the state and then passed down to us. And then we will have to deal with it.”

Long will be paid $257,282 a year and will not take his retirement annuity while working for the county.

Long takes over on April 25 for Anthony Griffin who’s been Fairfax County Executive for 12 years.

In announcing the appointment, Chairman Sharon Bulova said, “I believe that his skills and management style will continue to foster the culture of excellence for which Fairfax County is so well known.”